Ventilated awning



March 29, 1960 R. SIMS 2,930,088

7 VENTILATED AWNING Filed Dec. 15, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l IIIIIIIIIIIIIIJ'IIIIIIIII n- INVENTOR REDDING SIMS AT TORN EYS March 29, 1960 R. SIMS Z,930,088

VENTILATED AWNING Filed Dec. 15, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INYENTOR REDDING SIMS ATTORMEY VENTILATED AWNING Redding Sims, New Orleans, La., assignor to Walter Godchaux, In, New Orleans, La.

Application December 15, 1955, Serial No. 553,325 7 Claims. (Cl. zit-57.5

This invention relates to awnings of the type which are relatively rigid and are not intended to be raised or lowered and which are made of aluminum or other metal or material, and which provide a barrier for the water including the shedding of various types of pre cipitation but which include ventilation openings for the circulation of air.

This application is an improvement over my Patents Nos. 2,569,388 and 2,734,237, the present invention being an outgrowth of the development seeking to provide a more satisfactory awning at a smaller cost of manufacture and less expense for installation.

It is an object of the invention to provide awnings of sheet material such as those above disclosed with substantial savings of material over the single sheet type.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an awning of lightweight metal at minimum cost, which will effectively afford protection against the elements including rain, snow and the like, but which will permit the circulation of air therethrough, of sturdy and durable construction, which can be easily manufactured and easily and quickly installed on location without special tools and equipment, and the material of which exceeds as little as possible a single sheet for covering a given area.

A further object is to provide an awning made of a minimum number of different parts so that the manufacture thereof may be inexpensively accomplished, with a minimum number of different parts so that the manufacture thereof may be inexpensively accomplished, with a minimum of special tools, and the stock therefor being relatively inexpensive sheet material such as aluminum.

A further object is to provide material for the construction of awnings whereby the material may be furnished to stores and the stores may custom-make the awnings by simply cutting thematerial to the desired size and assembling such material in accordance with the requirements. 7 e

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein: I

Fig. 1 is an isometric view illustrating one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2, a section taken on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3, a section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4, a section taken on line 44.of Fig. 1, omitting details in the background; 7

Fig. 5, a section taken on line -5 of Fig. 1, showing the rafter in section and the tab for securing the outside base strip thereto;

Fig. *6, a package or kit containing all the parts of the awning; i

Fig. 7, a fragmentary perspective of a detail showing the front O-channel with the slots therein receiving the 'corner brace angle bracket for connection to the side brace and showing a base strip with the integral tongues thereof extending through'slots in the web portion of the Patented Mar. 29, 1960 Fig. 8, a rear perspective of a base strip showing the inverted V-shaped flanges on the main portion of the strip and showing skirt portion with a single angular flange at the edges and with the attaching tongues cut out from the integral material of the flanges;

Fig. 9, a fragmentary perspective showing integral tongue connection of the rafter securing the rafter and side brace in assembled relation; and

Fig. 10, a perspective of the angle bracket for connecting the side brace and front channel of the awning frame.

Briefly stated, the awning of the present invention comprises a mounting bar by means of which the upper edge of the awning member is attached to a'support and a frame member disposed at a lower elevation. The mounting bar and frame member may be secured .by conventional screws or other fastening elements to a door or window frame casing. The mounting bar and frame members are provided with spaced aligned apertures for the reception of locking tabs on base strips designed to be disposed in spaced parallel relation and to be bridged by inverted channel shaped cover strips, having edges which interlock with the edges of the base strips so that there is, in efiect, only slightly more than a single layer of material required in forming the awning. The base strips have their edges turned upwardly and inwardly and the cover strips are provided with inturned flanges which project inwardly and downwardly to cooperate with the upwardly and inwardly extending flanges of the base strips thereby providing an interlock for securing the strips in position whereby the entire structure is secured together.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the awning is supported on a framework comprising a top Z- shaped bar 11 which extends acrossand is secured to the top casing member 12 of a window or door frame by means of screws 13 or the like. A pair of vertically extending Z-shaped strips 14, 14' extend downwardly from the Z-shaped bar 11 and have their inturned flanges secured to the side casing strips 15 or 15' of the window or door frame by means of screws 16 or the like, the lower portion of said inturned flanges being provided with cutouts 17 or 17 to loosely receive screws 18, 18', whereby the Z-shaped strips 14, 14 are secured in position. Extending outwardly from a location adjacent the slots 17 of the Z-shaped strips 14, 14 are a pair of channel shaped braces 19, 19' the inner ends of such channel shaped braces being secured to the casing members 15, 15, respectively, by means of telescoping channel elements 20, 20" which have inwardly extending lugs '21, 21, respectively, through which the screws 18, 18

respectively, the portions 23 and 24 being connected by the web portions only of the angle bracket, the flanges of such angle brackets being cut away to permit such bending and to provide sufficient clearance as shown at 25 to receive a tongue 26 of an adjacent angle shaped rafter 27 which extends from the intersection of the brace 19 and. the front channel 22 to the upper end of the Z- shaped strip 14, being secured by the screw 16 which passes through a lug 28 of the rafter 27 thereby providing a framework upon which the roof and sides are secured. A similar rafter 27 is provided on the other side.

The sides of the awning, in addition to the Z-shaped strip 14, include a project vertically above and below the brace 19 being secured to such brace by means of tongues 30, 39 which pass into corresponding slots 31, 31 in the channel brace 19, such tongues ,being bent over to secure the strips in position. The spacing of the slots '31, 31 is such that overlying inverted channel shapel cover strips 32, 32 are adapted to have their inturned V-shaped flanges 33, 33 to engage with the inturned flanges of the underlying base strips 29, each underlying base strip 29 having an inverted -V-shaped flange 34, on each edge which snugly receives the corresponding flange 33, 33 of the cover strips 32. The innermost webs 35, 35 of the inturned flanges 33 of strips 29 are omitted below the tongues 30 as shown in Fig. 2 thereby simplifying the final securement of the skirt portions of the cover strips 32 on the underlying base strips 29. "The cover strips 32 are slid on to the underlying strips 29, 29 from below. The skirt portion of each underlying strip 29 has a retaining detent 36 on each edge to engage the cover strip 32 after the cover strips have been inserted to their final position, the portion of the V-shaped flange 33 remaining on the skirt portion of base strips 29 is adapted to be sprung into proper position and by permitting the cover strip 32 to be spread apart to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2 and then to be restored to its original position, this action is facilitated with the result of holding the parts in assembled relation the detents 36, 36 preventing the parts from separating.

The number of underlying base strips 29and overlying cover strips 32 are such as to fill the space between the side window casing 1510 a position closely adjacent to the outer end of the brace 19. To fill the remaining space an angle strip 37 is secured to the brace 19 by means of a tongue 38 which extends into one of the slots 31 adjacent such end. The outwardly extending portion 39 of the strip 37 being securedby a bent-over portion 48A of a roof strip 47 as hereafter described.

The sloping portion of the roof is formed of a plurality of underlying base strips 29A and a plurality of overlying inverted channel cover strips 32A which are secured at their upper ends to the Z-shaped bar 11 by means of tongues 40 which extend through slots 41 in such Z-shaped bar 11. The lower ends of skirt portions of the underlying strips 29A and overlying strips 32A are bent along a line defined by the front and top edges ofthe front bar 22. The sides 42 and inturned flanges 33 of the cover strips 32 are cut away at the bend 42A to permit the bending of such cover strips and the underlying strips 29A are cut away at 43 and provided with inwardly extending tongues 30 thereby permitting bending at the proper line. The skirt portions of the strips 29A have the inturned flange portions 35 cut away to leave the flange portions 34 for engaging and retaining the inturned flanged portions 33 of the cover strips.

In assembling the sloping roof, the underlying channel shaped strips 29A are secured by the tongues 39 and 30 through slots 31 to the front channel 19 and to the 2 bar 11 by tongues 40 in slots 41 and the cover strips are slid on as shown indotted lines in Fig. 1. The skirt portions 45 of the cover strips 32A are then snapped into position to retain the cover stripsjn place, suitable tabs 46 of the underlying base;stri ps -2 9Aengagin g the lowermost ends of the sides 42 of th apron portion45 of the coverstrips 3 A ther by maint in ng hwa in a e b d r la n- For finishing the side edges of the roof, strips 47, 4'7 which are somewhat similar to strips 37 include an inturned flange 34 including the portion 35 and a downwardly extendingflange 48 which overlies the upper ends of the strips 29 and 32 of the sides thereby producing a finished appearance, while permitting ventilation through the ends of cover strips 32 the strip 47 being secured at its upper-end by means of a'tongue similar to tongue 40 which extendsinto one of the slots 41 of the Z-shaped bar 11 anda tongue 50 which engages under the adjacent plurality ofbase strips 29, 29 which i end of the strip outturned flange of brace 27, thereby securing the top end of the strip 47 in position, the lower end of the strip 47 being secured by a tongue 51 to the bar 22 in a manner similar to that previously described and the skirt portion 52 of the strip 47 has its flanged portion 4811 turned against the outwardly turned flanged portion 39 of the side strip 37 thereby locking the parts in assembled relation, the skirt portion 52 of the strip 47 having the portion 35 omited so as to receive the inturned flanges of the apron portion 45 of the adjacent and overlying cover strip 32A.

To finish the awning, a flashing angle strip 53 is secured to the top window casing 12 by means of screws or the like and the angle is arranged to provide a neat and finished appearance. The usual drip molding 54 as provided on the window or door casing prevents water from getting between flashing 53 and under the awning or against the window or door frame where moisture might damage the building.

To provide for circulation of air, ventilating louvers 55 are provided at suitable intervals along the sides 42, 42 of the cover strips 32A and the cover strips 32 permitting the circulation of air which would otherwise be conflned underneath the awning and produce objectionable concentration of hot air. The strips 32 and/ or 32A may be cut short of abutting relation with the upper members 27 or 11, respectively, to allow for ventilation.

It will be seen that all of the parts may be assembled in a small elongated package 56 (Fig. 6) for storage or shipment or the material may be furnished in long strips and cut to size by the workmen installing the awning either directly on the job or at a conveniently located shop as soon as the exact size is determined. Adjustments can be obtained by varying the width of strips 47, 47 on the sloping roof and strips 14, 14 and 37, 37' on the sides. It will be apparentthat braces 19, 19', front bar 22 and rafters 27, 27' will be correspondingly cut to the proper size.

With the present construction, the amount of covering material required is approximately 1.5 times the actual square foot area of the roof and sides of the awning as compared with a requirement of approximately 2.1 times the corresponding area required for the awning shown in Patent No. 2,569,388. Further, additional reinforcement is obtained by the continuous flanges of the base channel strips 39 as well as the inverted cover channel strips 32 and, consequently, the high quality of the product is maintained while effecting a saving of approximately .6 of a square foot foreach square foot of the awning.

It will be abvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is illustrated in the drawing and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An awning construction comprising horizontally arranged supports having tab receiving slits arranged in spaced relation alongsaid supports, a plurality of channel pan elements extending between said support, each channel pan element having tabs projecting from each edge thereof downwardly and adapted to extend through the associated jslitsin saidhorizontal supports forrnaintaining the channel pan elements infixed position onsaid supports, a plurality of cover channels for cooperation withsaid channelpanelement, the cover channels having an inverted V portion at the lower edge of each flange, the channel pan element having at least one flange inclined to the plane of the web thereof for cooperation with at least a part of the inverted V portion of the cover channels whereby the channel pan elements are secured in position on the supports and the cover channels are applied thereover so that the flanges of said cover channel interlock with the flanges ofhsaid phannel pan elementto maintain the cover channel in fixed relation to thechanucl pan element thereby operatively securing the cover channels in position, said structure providing for an awning of substantial width adapted to be built up to the desired size, and terminating in Z-shaped end portion for maintaining the weather tightness of the end portions in overlapping relation.

2. An awning structure comprising a channel pan element having a web with the flanges at the edges thereof of inverted V-shape and a cover channel cooperating with said pan shaped channel, said cover channel having a first flange at each edge and an inverted ti-shaped flange attached to the outer edge of said first flange and received in the space between the inverted V-shaped flange of the channel pan element and the web of such channel pan element in sliding relation, the free edge of the outer flange of the V-shaped flange of the cover element serving to maintain the cover element in position with relation to the channel pan element while permitting sliding assembly and disassembly of the channel pan element.

3. The invention according to claim 2 in which the channel pan element has transverse cuts'in spaced locations along the channel pan element from the free edge of the V-shaped flange to the web thereof with portions of such V-shaped flange between the transverse cuts providing tabs adapted to be bent in the direction opposite said flanges and parallel to said web to provide positive securing means for the channel pan element to a support having slots therein.

4. An awning structure comprising at least one pair of bars having transversely disposed slots, a channel pan element having a web and having the flanges thereof of inverted V-shape, extending between the bars and abutting one face of said bars, a cover channel element cooperating with said pan shaped channel, said cover channel element having a web and having at each edge of the web a first flange and an inverted V-shaped flange of the adjacent channel pan element and the web of such channel pan element for sliding assembly and disassembly, the free edge of the free flange of the V-shaped flange of the cover element being of a width to maintain the cover channel element in position with relation to the channel pan element, the channel pan element having transverse cuts in spaced locations along the channel pan element from the free edges of the inverted V-shaped flanges thereof to the web thereof providing tabs received in the slots of said bars and bent against the opposite face of said bars providing positive securing means maintaining an integral structure of channel elements.

5. The invention according to claim 4 in which one tab is provided on each edge of one end of the channel pan element and the flanges of said channel pan element and cover channels are cut inwardly from each edge to the web thereof adjacent the other end, the other end portions of the channel elements being bent at an angle, and other tabs at both edges of the web in the bent end portion of the channel pan element.

6. The invention according to claim 5 in which the free edge flange of the inverted V-shaped flange of the channel pan element is removed in the bent end portion to provide for assembly of the bent end portion of the cover channel element-by movement of thebent end portion of the cover channel element transversely toward the bent end portion of the channel pan element.

7. An awning construction comprising horizontally arranged supports having tab receiving slits arranged in spaced relation along said supports, a plurality of channel pan elements extending between said supports, each channel pan element having tabs projecting from each edge thereof downwardly and adapted to extend through the associated slits in said horizontal supports for maintaining the channel pan elements in fixed position on said supports, a plurality of cover channels for cooperation with said channel pan element, the cover channels having an inverted V portion at the lower edge of each flange, the channel pan element having at least one flange inclined to the plane of the web thereof for cooperation with at least a part of the inverted portion of the cover channels whereby the channel pan elements are secured in position on the supports and the cover channels are applied thereover so that the flanges of said cover channel interlock with the flanges of said channel pan element to maintain the cover channel in fixed relation to the channel pan element thereby operatively securing the cover channels in position, said structure providing for an awning of substantial width adapted to be built up to the desired size.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,542,919 Freeman Feb. 20, 1951 2,565,294 l Bain Aug. 21, 1951 2,611,935 Kramer et al Sept. 30, 1952 2,619,691 Bottom Dec. 2, 1952 2,726,425 v Degaetano et a1 Dec. 13, 1955 2,730,778 Pax Jan. 17, 1956 2,734,237 Sims Feb. 14, 1956 2,739,356 Aldridge Mar. 27, 1956 2,752,643 Helt et a1 July 3, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 924,506 Germany July 8, 1949 

